Operation Jupiter 22 - Jabos. 20mm WW2 battle report.

Introduction

This is game 22 in replaying the scenarios from the Briton Publishers Operation Jupiter skirmish scenario book.   Links to previous games are on this blog page.

Rules used

I am using a variant of my 4x3 grid rules without grids and sections are 3 person units rather than 1 base. I have changed them a little and now if within 3” count as fighting in melee but all have cover modifiers. Also activation is now (mainly) 2 section/vehicle per side per player turn.

Scenario

The Germans have 6 turns to capture the objective building.

Troops

British

1 Platoon

    1 platoon HQ (1 figure)

    1 PIAT team

    1 Section (3 figures)

1 6pdr ATG

2 fire missions 25pdr

1 Hawker Typhoon with 4x20mm cannon and 8 rockets (arrives turn 4)

British are all regular.

Germans

1 Zug

    1 Zug HQ (1 figure)

    2 Gruppe (3 figures each)

2 251/1 halftracks (transport)

2 Pzkfw IV

Germans are all regular

Deployment

Deployment

British just need to hang on, using the 25pdrs early and then hoping the Typhoon disrupts the attack.  The Germans will move the infantry on first into the buildings to each side of the intersection and then the tanks.  The Germans know the British are setup on the other side of the intersection so will only be able to move the halftracks to unload in building before the intersection.

Game

Germans move the infantry (via halftracks) into building on either side of the road

German infantry on the board

The British call the 25pdr into one of the buildings (the one the British Lieutenant can see) and suppresses two figures. The Germans move the Panzers on.  The Germans cannot spot anything yet.

Panzer IVs enter to support the infantry.

The 6pdr shoots at one of the Panzer IVs.  They hit.  The Panzer Iv is suppressed (-1 to hit, can’t move for a turn) and damaged.  The PIAT is too far from the tanks to hit.  The 25pdr is successfully called again and forces one suppress figure to retreat out of the building.

6pdr damages one of the PanzerIVs.

The Germans are pressed to time.  They move the Gruppe with the commander to the building next to the objective.  And spot the British hiding there!  They shoot and cause two suppressions.  The British get to return fire.  And what a great return fire – 1 figure routed and the other 3 are all suppressed.   The three suppressed have to retreat as they are within 3 of unsuppressed infantry.  On the other side of the road, the suppressed Germans are unsuppressed.

Action near the objective building.  Did not go well for the Germans.

The British get an event – a sniper.  It suppressed the Germans in the building that were just unsuppressed.  Due to the event, the British only get one activation which they use to destroy the PanzerIV.

Destroyed PanzerIV.

The Germans try and rally the Gruppe in the ruined building but do not succeed.  The PanzerIV attempts to direct HE the objective building but does not succeed either.

It is turn 4.  The British Typhoon appears.  I have no aeroplane models so will just have to imagine it.  It has 8 rockets and 4 20mm cannon. But it has to see something to hit it.  The aircraft attack the ruins. 

The 20mm cannot largely does nothing but the rockets cause the Gruppe to retreat from the building.  A few rockets go astray and to hit the PanverIV and it is destroyed!  I used the aircraft rules from my earlier homegrown rules as I don’t really have any yet suitable for the modified ww4x3 rules.

The rocket wreaks havoc among the Germans.

The German unsuppress 2 figures with the commander and all the figures in the other building.

The British are mostly unsuppressed. 

It is turn 6 and the Germans have no chance on getting to the objective building in time.  The British have won!

End game.

Verdict

It was all going to depend on how good the Typhoon was.  As per the actual battle, it was quite good.  The Germans could not recover in time to get to the objective.  It was interesting to play.  I did forget about the PIAT team – they should have been spotted by the Germans and likely would have been suppressed and retreated.